Love Lois Lowry? Wondering where's Waldo? Crazy for Cool New Books and curious about what's coming soon? Then read on!

This month we're featuring a wonderful interview with Lois Lowry and a review of her new book GOSSAMER. We have reviews of the latest additions to some of your favorite series --- LORD OF THE SHADOWS, book #11 in the Cirque du Freak series by Darren Shan; THE TENTH CITY, the final book in The Land of Elyon trilogy by Patrick Carman; and AMELIA BEDELIA UNDER CONSTRUCTION by Herman Parish. We're also featuring a new book by Kate DiCamillo where we once again catch up with that lovable pig, Mercy Watson, in MERCY WATSON GOES FOR A RIDE.

Our New in Paperback roundup for May is jam-packed with books we know you'll love. Included are THE SEA OF TROLLS, Nancy Farmer's bestselling tale of Vikings and magic; PETER AND THE STARCATCHERS by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, a swashbuckling pirate-adventure prequel to PETER PAN; the first two installments in Wendelin Van Draanen's Shredderman series about a young cyber-superhero; and THE BOYS OF SAN JOAQUIN, an historical fiction novel by D. James Smith that won the 2006 Edgar Award in the category of Best Juvenile Book. Want it in paperback? Find it at Kidsreads.com.

Our "Don't Miss" title for this month is VERY special. After nine years, Martin Handford's classic Where's Waldo? series returns with WHERE'S WALDO? THE GREAT PICTURE HUNT! featuring everyone's favorite red-and-white-striped, globe-trotting traveler.

Our Poll this month is all about the setting --- where books take place. Do you like real places, fantasy places, or places that feel like they are real but are imaginary? Let us know. Our Question of the Month is "If you could spend a day in a fictional setting from any book (Hogwarts, Narnia, Camp Greenlake, the Spiderwick Estate, etc.), where would you choose?"

School is coming to a close; for some of you it ends TODAY. We can hear your cheers from here! For us here at Kidsreads.com, the best part of summer is, without a doubt, reading and relaxing. Summer isn't summer without a good book (or two or three...). Read on.

Carol Fitzgerald for Kidsreads.com

Lois Lowry is a prolific figure in children's and young adult fiction, having written such classic novels as THE GIVER, GATHERING BLUE, MESSENGER and NUMBER THE STARS. In this interview, Lowry describes the inspirations behind her latest book, GOSSAMER, and its diminutive character, Littlest. Read on to learn more about Lowry's dreams, her fascination with how young people see themselves, and what she has in store for her readers.

GOSSAMER by Lois Lowry
In Lois Lowry's haunting story that tiptoes between reality and imagination, two people --- a lonely, sensitive woman and a damaged, angry boy --- face their own histories and discover what they can be to one another, renewed by the strength that comes from a tiny, caring creature they will never see. Reviewed by Alexis Burling.

-Click here to read an excerpt from GOSSAMER

HEAT by Mike Lupica
Michael Arroyo can throw some serious heat, and he dreams of pitching in the Little League World Series. But Michael --- newly orphaned after his father led the family's escape from Cuba --- must deal with the reality of his day-to-day life and can only rely on his older brother. Reviewed by Renee Kirchner.

-Click here to read an excerpt from HEAT.

MERCY WATSON GOES FOR A RIDE by Kate DiCamillo
Mr. and Mrs. Watson's portly pig, Mercy, loves nothing more than a ride in the car. It takes a fair amount of nudging and bribing to get her out of the driver's seat. One day the Watsons' elderly neighbor pops up in the backseat hoping for some "folly and adventure" --- and in the chaos that ensues, an exuberant Mercy ends up behind the wheel! Reviewed by Joy Held.

THE TENTH CITY: The Land of Elyon, Book 3 by Patrick Carman
The Land of Elyon has begun to fail, poisoned by the evil that creeps across the Dark Hills and into Bridewell. As she moves toward a thrilling conclusion, Alexa must find a way to overcome the Lonely Sea, rescue Yipes from the clutches of Victor Grindall, and unlock the mystery of the Tenth City. But can she find the answers she needs in time to save The Land of Elyon? Reviewed by Sally M. Tibbetts.

WHERE'S WALDO? THE GREAT PICTURE HUNT! by Martin Handford
For almost two decades, everyone's favorite red-and-white-striped traveler and his equally colorful associates have been globetrotting, time traveling, traipsing across tinsel town, and even journeying through the imagination in Martin Handford's classic Where's Waldo? series. After nine years, the elusive Waldo is finally back with an all-new adventure through the art world in THE GREAT PICTURE HUNT!

May's roundup of New in Paperback titles includes THE SEA OF TROLLS, Nancy Farmer's bestselling tale of Vikings and magic; PETER AND THE STARCATCHERS by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, a swashbuckling pirate-adventure prequel to PETER PAN; the first two installments in Wendelin Van Draanen's Shredderman series about a young cyber-superhero; and THE BOYS OF SAN JOAQUIN, an historical fiction novel by D. James Smith that won the 2006 Edgar Award in the category of Best Juvenile Book.

LORD OF THE SHADOWS: Cirque du Freak Series, Book #11 by Darren Shan
Darren Shan is returning to his childhood home --- while the world is coming to an end. Old enemies await. Scores must be settled. Destiny looks certain to destroy him, and the world is doomed to fall to the Ruler of the Night. Reviewed by Carlie Weber.

AMELIA BEDELIA UNDER CONSTRUCTION by Herman Parish
In Herman Parish's latest laugh-out-loud offering, Amelia Bedelia has come to babysit Angela and Andrew Hardy while their mother goes to the doctor. Sounds simple enough, right? Wrong! Before long, the three of them are knee-deep in home renovation projects, including an attempt to fulfill Mrs. Hardy's wish for marble countertops and Mr. Hardy's plans to sand the deck.

May's roundup of Cool New Books includes GOSSAMER, a contemporary fantasy from two-time Newbery winner Lois Lowry that examines where our dreams and nightmares come from; BEHIND THE CURTAIN: An Echo Falls Mystery, the sequel to Peter Abraham's national bestseller DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE; FLY BY NIGHT, an outstanding debut novel from Frances Hardinge that is by turns thrilling, heartbreaking and hilarious; an all-new Berenstain Bears adventure (this time they're at the beach for some fun in the sun); and series updates to Cirque du Freak, The Land of Elyon, Mercy Watson and Amelia Bedelia.

On May 5th, the movie version of Carl Hiaasen's HOOT hit theaters. Packed with surprising plot twists, quirky characters and offbeat humor, the book is a favorite among many readers and the film promises to be silly, screwball fun.

Curious about what books will be released in the months ahead? Then be sure to check out our brand new Coming Soon section on Kidsreads.com. We have titles from May through August listed. Please note that we have not included every book coming out, but rather some that caught our eye --- and that we thought should catch yours as well.

BEHIND THE CURTAIN: An Echo Falls Mystery by Peter Abrahams
Ingrid Levin-Hill --- the very precocious, very active 13-year-old amateur detective from DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE who lives in Echo Falls --- is back. This time, Ingrid is trying to figure out why her father is worried about his job, how her brother is building up all this extra strength, who is trying to evict her grandfather from his precious property, and why someone would want to kidnap her. Reviewed by Robert M. Oksner.

-Click here to read an excerpt from BEHIND THE CURTAIN.

PIRATE CURSE: The Wave Walkers #1 by Kai Meyer
Jolly and Munk are both polliwogs --- wave walkers who can literally walk on water. When Jolly's boat capsizes and Jolly is washed up at Munk's doorstep, both teenagers are launched on an adventure that will take all their unique gifts to survive. Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman.

STRANGE HAPPENINGS: Five Tales of Transformation by Avi
Children become cats and birds, a once-invisible young woman pieces herself back together, and the identity of a mysterious baseball mascot is uncovered --- all within this chilling and thought-provoking collection from master storyteller Avi. Reviewed by Robert M. Oksner.

KEEPING COOL: The Callahan Cousins #3 by Elizabeth Doyle Carey
Kate is enjoying the summer at her grandmother's estate with her cousins, but she's tired of being a predictable coward. So she vows that she will transform herself into a totally new person. But can she become a cool new Kate without losing herself? Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.

NOBODY'S PERFECT by Marlee Matlin and Doug Cooney
In this companion to DEAF CHILD CROSSING, a new girl has joined Megan's fourth grade class. Unfortunately, Megan has the toughest time befriending Alexis, who seems to be nearly perfect. But when the girls are forced to work together on a science fair project, Megan realizes there's no such thing as perfection. Reviewed by Carole Turner.

NOVA AND THE CHARMED THREE by Tea Emesse
Ever have your dream come true --- only to turn into a nightmare? That's what happens to Nova Darling when she's invited by Joe, her longtime crush, to join his band. Nova is in seventh heaven, until she realizes that she's not the only one after Joe --- and her rival is fellow band mate Ivy. Reviewed by Paula Jolin.

YUMI TALKS THE TALK by Tea Emesse
Strange things are happening to Yumi Suzuki. First, she finds herself adopting a kitten, even though she hates cats. Then her mom starts acting in all kinds of weird ways. Can Yumi cope with all the changes coming at her so quickly --- and even find a way to turn them into a good thing? Reviewed by Paula Jolin.

What kind of literary settings do you enjoy most?

Magical fantasy locations
Real cities, states or countries
Fictional places that have a realistic feel to them

If you could spend a day in a fictional setting from any book (Hogwarts, Narnia, Camp Greenlake, the Spiderwick Estate, etc.), where would you choose?